In the Oscar-nominated Superman, we learn Clark Kent grew up in an orphanage rather than with Jonathan and Martha, so what alternate Earth does that make this? Regardless, the eponymously titled film quickly establishes the recurring theme of technology running amuck when a mad scientist tries to extort Metropolis with his electrothansia ray. Of course, Los Lane blunders into his lair first, so Superman must rescue her while saving the city. For the time, this was eye-popping stuff, rendered in exotic color. The art deco design continues to influence the look of the franchise, especially Superman: The Animated Series.
Mad scientists continue to conduct themselves in a dangerous and anti-social manner in The Mechanical Monsters. This time, an evil genius dispatches his platoon of robots on a crime spree throughout Metropolis. By contemporary standards, the 9 to 10 minutes Fleischer shorts tell relatively simple stories, but it is hard to get much more satisfying than watching Superman smash an army of robots.
It is fortunate Superman is “more powerful than a locomotive,” because he must corral a runaway train in Billion Dollar Limited. The train in question is a gold bullion shipment to the U.S. Mint. Although Superman’s adversaries are entirely human, he must perform feats of strength that would not be possible for George Reeves.
The Arctic Giant is an absolute Superman classic. It is also a kaiju movie that predates the original Japanese Godzilla by twelve years. Through negligence and Lois lane’s distraction, a dinosaur frozen in ice thaws out, allowing it to rampage through Metropolis. Frankly, the dino-kaiju is kind of cute, but that is part of the film’s charm, Regardless, even the Salkind films could not have credibly created this kind of spectacle.
